HUDSON COUNTY -- It's here! The Super Bowl in the Meadowlands is next Sunday. Are you ready for some football - and some local events leading up to the main contest? Keep watching hudsonreporter.com for details, and pick up our Huddle Zone guide if you're staying in one of the hotels in the area.

Hudson County is right in the thick of things: NJ Transit and PATH are offering additional trains and other transportation options crisscrossing the county. Both football teams will be staying at hotels in Jersey City. And towns like Hoboken, Jersey City, and Secaucus are hosting big events and attractions for people to enjoy.

Upcoming events, and more info

Here are some upcoming events:

-The town of Secaucus is set to make the week before the game a memorable one with the three-day Winter Blast in Buchmuller Park.

Running from Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, and open to Secaucus residents and nonresidents alike, the Blast events feature everything from food to concerts to sports events, from a giant snowglobe to a life-sized dinosaur. Tickets for Winter Blast cost $10 a day, with kids 10 and under free.

-The city of Hoboken will unveil a massive illuminated sculpture on the Hudson River waterfront spelling out "Super Bowl XLVIII." The location is Pier A park on the southern waterfront near the train station. The city will also host three lanes of curling -- in honor of the Winter Olympics -- at the "Hoboken Huddle," free and open to the public through February. Watch hudsonreporter.com for more details.

-In Jersey City, where both teams will be staying, expect free concerts at Liberty State Park on Monday night, Jan. 27: the Goo Goo Dolls, Daughtry, and the Fray. They'll be followed by Macy's fireworks set to music. Fox Sports will broadcast some of the event from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Jersey City is also hosting "Jersey City Fashion Week" with a Super Bowl theme. The first few days, Jan. 23 to 25, will highlight fashion and sports and will feature casual, swim, resort and sportswear for both men and women. Professional athletes will walk the runway and exhibit their developing fashion lines as well. They will feature GIII Sports, a clothing line designed by former New York Giants Super Bowl champion Carl Banks, as well as former New York Giants Super Bowl champion and San Francisco 49er Odessa Turner and former Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl Champion and Denver Bronco (and New Jersey native) Darrell Reid both walking the runway. Proceeds will go to DLJ Give to Live Community Foundation: a project of United Charitable Programs, Jersey City Recreation Foundation, Grid Iron Group, Secaucus Emergency Fund, and the Snowflake Youth Foundation.

The opening night of Fashion Week, Jan. 23, will take place in Hoboken at the Boys and Girls Club in conjunction with Liberty Science Center.

On Jan. 24 an event is scheduled at the Pole Position Raceway, 99 Caven Point Rd, Jersey City. And on Jan. 25 Mister Cognac, Paul Jones of JTE Spirits, will hold an event featuring a collection of cognacs along with a dinner VB3 lounge at 475 Washington Blvd. in Jersey City.

On Jan. 30, Fashion Week will conclude with the Outlet Mall Fashion Show in Secaucus.

- Meanwhile, East Rutherford, home to MetLife Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be held, will host "Meadowlands Tailgate Party 2014" on the day of the game, Sunday, Feb. 2. Admission to their event is $10; kids under 12 are free. They'll have Jersey bands like the Nerds and the B-Street Band.

Transportation

NJ Transit trains and buses from Hoboken and New York City connect in Secaucus with trains to the stadium.

The Port Authority also runs the PATH trains to connect people to other modes of transportation. They run among Hoboken, Jersey City, New York, Newark, and Harrison.

NJ Transit also is selling a "Super Pass" that allows fans to travel around the area in the week leading up to the Super Bowl for one price.